Prior art support stands are designed to support fixed lens cameras and cannot support modern cameras equipped with autofocus or zoom lens. The prior art devices feature a threaded adaptor ring that attaches directly to the lens of the camera and holds the camera in a vertical position so that the longitudinal image axis of the lens is perpendicular to and spaced from a flat surface supporting the object being photographed in the field of view of the camera. Known copy stands have a small footprint, which prevents photographing any area larger than about 7.times.10 inches. An 81/2.times.11 inch document has a diametric dimension from corner to corner of 14 inches. Thus, with the known stand assemblies, it is impossible to photograph letter sized documents having standard dimensions of 81/2.times.11 inches. And even if a camera were available, the resultant picture would include a portion of the supporting stand legs.
A number of camera manufacturers including Cannon, Pentax, and Olympus provide camera support stands designed for use with fixed focal length lens systems. Modern lens systems for photographic cameras are designed to move during the focus or zoom process. And a camera supported by the lens on known photographic stand assemblies tend to drift during use. Gravity tends to pull the lens elements toward the object being photographed causing focus problems. When this occurs with a zoom lens, a change in the image size occurs. And tiny motors in modern autofocus lens systems are adversely effected by the resistance to longitudinal movement, rotational motion, or pressure on the lens. The resistance is caused by the weight of the camera when the lens itself is directly connected to the stand assembly.
For the foregoing reasons, these known stands are not adaptable to an autofocus lens, which is a relatively new product to the amateur and professional photographic market.
The following U.S. Patents disclose various types of camera stand devices that support a camera by its body portion.
______________________________________ 2,667,825 3,601,028 4,219,268 2,713,609 3,709,119 4,222,654 2,813,456 4,133,607 4,899,189 ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,601,028; 3,709,119; and 4,219,268 disclose various types of support stands useful in proximity or close-up photography. Each of these support provides a close-up camera for photographing subjects on a horizontal surface. The stand shown in U.S. Pat. 3,709,119 is specifically designed for a particular type of close-up camera, which is useable only on a flat horizontal surface. The stands of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,601,028 and 4,219,268 are directly connected to the fixed lens of a standard camera and include three telescoping legs. FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 2,667,825 discloses a means for movably mounting a camera on two laterally spaced rod members for focusing the camera supported above a substantially flat horizontal surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,654 discloses a system having a plurality of adjustable legs connected to an L-shaped base member to which a camera body may be fixedly mounted while allowing free adjustment of the camera lens. This camera support system is used for photography in electron microscopy, nuclear medicine, and in the application of ultrasonics in medical clinical techniques. This prior art stand is limited to taking pictures of the display on a cathode ray tube while maintaining the camera in a stable condition and is incapable for photographic use in the field of forensics.
None of the devices shown in the foregoing patents overcome the basic disadvantages associated with supporting autofocus or zoom lens structures. Consequently, none of the known stand assemblies may be used for close-up photography as is the device of the present invention.